Improvement in paper-folding machines



. 2Sheets--Sheet1. C. CHAMBERS, .ll. & W. MENDHAM.

Paper-Folding Machines.

No. 141,490. PatentedA'ugust5Q1873.

f Flqn.

2 Sheets--Sheet2. l3. CHAMBERS, Jr. W. MENDHAM.

Paper-Folding Machines.

N0. I l-1,490, Patented August5,'l873.

AM PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIL ca N.Y. man/m5; PRvmsJ proved machine.

UNITED T STATES PATENT CFFICE.

CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR, AND WILLIAM MENDHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO EDWIN CHAMBERS AND CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR, OF SAME PLACE. I

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-FOLDING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,490, dated August5,1873; application filed 1 May 13, 1873.

CASE B.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CYRUS CHAMBERS, J r., and WILLIAM MENDHAM, both ofPhila delphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Fold ing Machines; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and correct description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top orplan view of our im- Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the sameon linear x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of theturning-frame. Fig. 4 is a top view, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation ofthe same in a position at right angles to that which it occupies in Fig.2. g

The same part is marked by the same letter of reference wherever itoccurs.

This invention relates to a paper-folding machine by which a printedsheet of paper is out into half sheets, and those halves foldedindependently of each other and packed in the same packing-trough. Itconsists, first, in such an arrangement of the folding rollers, blades,tapes, and bars of a folding-machine as that the halves of the severedsheet shall receive their first fold by the same pair of IOIIGISLIZIIGIIsecond fold by independent rollers, and their third fold, in succession,by one and the same pair of folding-rollers, and be packed by the samepacking apparatus; or, if but two folds are to bemade, thatthetwice-folded half-sheets may be carried to and packed by the samepacking apparatus. It further consists in a turning-frame which willreceive the sheet as it comes from the second pair of folding-rollersand turn it so that it will drop into the packing-trough in the sameposition as if it had dropped from the third pair of foldingrollers, allsubstantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth. Lastly, itconsists in a device for throwing out a sheetbefore it reaches thepacking apparatus, whenever from incorrect folding or other imperfectionit is desirable to do so.

In the drawings, A marks the frame of the machine, which is made ofiron, and of the ordinary form. and dimensions to support the operativeparts. B B are the first pair of folding-rollers, midway of the lengthof which are rollers D D and E E, respectively, the line of the secondfold in each casebeing directly over the line of contact of thoserollers, respectively. In conjunction with the rollers D D thefolding-blade C operates to drive the oncefolded half-sheet betweenthose rollers to receive the second fold. This blade is attached toarmC, in the end of which is a smaller roller, (1, running in contact withthe cam J on shaft P, which cam gives the required motion to thefolding-blade C. A folding-blade, F, operated in a similar manner by camJ on shaft P, and impelling arm F, introduces one of the once-foldedhalf-sheets between the rollers E E. Between rollers E and D (see Figs.1 and 2) are placed the guide-rods G G G, which extend from a line nearthe bottom of roller E to and over the roller D, around which they arepartly curved, as shown, so as to guide the sheet folded by rollersE Einto the bite of the rollers D D. Endless tapes t pass over roller E,under roller E, over roller D,

under roller D, to and over a small roller attached to the side framing,and then back to the lower side of roller E. These tapes conduct thetwice-folded half-sheet from rollers E E, under the guide-rods G, to therollers vbers, Jr., dated April 5, 1859.

rollers B B over rollers D D is supported. on the side over rollers I Iby wires 0 c. When in that position it receives a blow fromfolding-blade O, which introduces it between the rollers D D, by whichit receives its second fold, and is carried on the tapes and under thewires 0 to a position over rollers I I. It there receives the impulse ofthe third folding-blade, K, which drives it between rollers I I, whichimpart to it the third and last fold and drop it directly into thepackin g-trough, to be packed by the plunger in the ordinary way. Thefoldin g-blade K is operated by a cam, R, on shaft I working in contactwith a roller on the end of arm T of folder K, and is so timed as tohave two throws to each revolution of that shaft and to each throw ofthe blades 0 and F. The once-folded half-sheet that receives its secondfold from rollers E E is carried by the tapes at under the bars Gr, andis driven between the rollers D D without receiving a fold from them,and passes on to a position directly over the bite of rollers I I. Thepreviously twice-folded half-sheet has by this time passed between theserollers and dropped into the packing-box. The blade K now descends andforces the second sheet between those rollers to receive its third fold.Thus the twice-folded sheets follow each other in regular successionbetween the last pair of folding-rollers, which fold twice as manysheets as either of the preceding pair. When the third fold is impartedto the sheets, as described, they drop from the rollers I I at rightangles to the line of the packing-trough V, and in proper position to bepacked; but, if only two folds were given to the paper, the sheets wouldbe delivered from the rollers D D in a plane parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the trough V, and would require to be turned atright angles to that axis before reaching the proper position forpacking.

To effect this turning of the sheet curved or twisted wires wereformerly employed, as described, in the patent of Cyrus Cham- We havereplaced that device by what weterm a turning-frame, which isrepresented clearly in Figs. 2, 3, a, and 5.

The turning-frame Q is pivoted at top to the cross-framing of themachine, and turns through an arc of ninety degrees above thequadrant-table Q. It receives its motion from the reciprocating plungerU, from which a pin, 12, passes up into a slit in an arm, q, attached tothe turning-frame Q. ger U receives its motion from pitman X, attachedto the plunger-rod v and operated by crank WV on shaft M. When theplunger is at the forward end of its throw the turning-frame Q is in theposition shown in Fig. 4, directly under and parallel with the line ofcontact of rollers D D. When the plunger is at the rearward end of itsthrow the turning-frame is in a position at right angles to that showninFig. 4, and directly over and across the packingtrough V. The form Theplun-' of the turning-frame is clearly shown in the drawings. It is openat top and bottom, so that a sheet dropped into it would fall throughwere it not for pins m n, which are inserted to support the sheet at oneend and the quadrant-table Q on which it rests at the other. The pins.are to be withdrawn, and the turning-frame is to be thrown out of gearwith the plunger, when the turning-frame is used merely to guide thefalling sheets, as when the sheets drop directly from the rollers I Iinto the trough.

When the turning-frame is in the position shown in Fig. 1, its open endis immediately over a drop, h, Figs. 3 and 4:, connected with a treadle,Z, within reach of the foot of the operator, by a series of crank-leversand the rod Y, as shown in Fig. 3. A spring, 0, holds the drop it inposition to support the end of the sheet. When it is desired to throw asheet out the operator depresses the treadle Z, which throws the drophinto the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and leaves the endof the sheet unsupported, so that it readily falls out of the frame.

The machine is driven by power applied at L to the end of the main shaftM. A toothed pinion, N, meshes into a gear-wheel, 0, on cam shaft P, andimparts motion to that shaft. Cams on that shaft operate thefolding-blades O, F, and K. On the end of the main shaft M is a crank,W, which operates the plunger U, giving it two throws to each revolutionof cam-shaft I, corresponding with the throws of knife K. Theturning-frame has the same number of throws as the plunger by which itis operated. Its position at the end of the backward throw of theplunger is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

This turning-frame may be used on a machine which makes three or fourfolds in a single sheet, by so locating the turning-frame as to receivethe sheet from the fourth pair of rollers, and carry it under the thirdpair, and drops it into a box arranged to receive the sheets from thethird pair of rollers direct.

By this arrangement a machine making two, three, or four folds can packsheets folded a different number of times in the same box, which shouldalways be arranged parallel with the machine, and under it, thus savingmuch valuable room, and obviating the necessity for an additionalpacking-trough.

In this machine the rollers are driven in the ordinary way, and thesheets are carried by tapes, steadied by bars, and arrested by stops inthe manner usual in paper-folding machinery of this class. being wellunderstood by those skilled in the art, need no more detaileddescription or illustration.

The tapes t in Fig. 2 are represented as slightly inclined to therollers I I. This is done to avoid confusion of lines, and to distinguish the tapes clearly from the other parts. In the working-machine thetapes run parallel with the upper surface of these rollers, so thatThese operations,

the foldin g-bla-de may act equally on the whole length of the line offold.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding-machine by which the printed sheet is cut in two parts,as described, the combination and arrangement for correlated action ofthe rollers E E with their blade F, the rollers D D with their blade 0,the rollers I I with their blade K, the carrying-tapes t, and theguide-bars G, all constructed, timed, and operated substantially in themanner and for the purpose specified.

2. The turning-frame Q, constructed as described, and operated by thereci rocation of Witnesses JOHN ALEXANDER, J. S. KITE.

